425 gallon reef tank build

[StephenGlidden]

Hello,

Love your thread and I have a 240 and I’m having my 425 built (well still on back order I they won’t get to it till mid October. But I went with the mitras ghl 7200 series. I only needed three and they are IMO quiet a few steps ahead
Of the radions pros. Plus you would need 6 to 8 radions we only three for the mitras and the mitras are close to 799 each. I would definitely research them as well. your tank looks amazing.

From your pics are you able to get behind your tank at all? I love how you did it but I wasn’t sure if that’s a door behind there or a window? How did you get it inside (the tank. As it being so large?

I will definently look them up thank you!
Thank you the tank came out awesome they did such a good job with everything on it.

I own a construction company, so the orange skid steer in the pictures is mine, also I am friends with a local crane company who let me borrow their fork extensions to fit under the whole tank. We ended up turning the tank on it’s face and using the forks sent it through a window near the stand, then all we had to do was lay it down on the stand.

There is a window right behind the tank so I have access to 90% of the plumbing and back wall of the tank!

 

[StephenGlidden]

Today was the day!
Everything is switched over, so excited to have the new tank up and running.
I am still working on it currently and I will upload pictures and Info a little bit later.

 

[wowkingjames]

Following....

 

[StephenGlidden]

I’ll try to do a step by step process, forgive if I leave anything out it has been an extremely long two days!
Friday night I mixed 125 gallons of saltwater, carried all of it upstairs into trash cans and all but gave up.
Saturday started at 7:30am pulling rock and draining water from the 300. Scooped out probably 30 gallons worth of sand and transferred it to the new tank. Then capped over it with about 500 pounds more to make a 5” sand bed.
Then came the fun part of stacking rock! We had the idea of wanting arches and caves and after a couple tries we had about what we wanted.
And then started filling with water, we took all the water from the 300+ the 125 I mixed up and all while this was going on was mixing another batch of 100 gallons which just barely filled the tank.
After started to release fish and place corals.
This starting at 7:30 am and finishing at about 10 pm we turn the pumps on, leaked checked and went to bed!

 

[StephenGlidden]

Hung the 3 ap700s this morning, messed up on the right one
The first picture was taken this morning and the second was after kicking up a whole bunch of sand moving stuff around.

 

[StephenGlidden]

And this was taken this morning after running for a full day!

 

[najer]

So many people don't use as much "old water" as they should ime, way less shock to your animals!"

 

[StephenGlidden]

So many people don't use as much "old water" as they should ime, way less shock to your animals!"

That is my thought to!
I also feel it helps stop the tank from cycling as badly

 

[ethridge78]

Very nice

 

[StephenGlidden]

This is my control center, not as pretty as others I know, but it works for me!

 

[Crystal Reef Aquatics]

How is everything going?

 

[StephenGlidden]

How is everything going?

So far so good! Fish are loving the tank
Your sump is awesome, so much more accessible then the trigger I had last!
I’ve tried pushing your products on the local fish store here.

 

[Crystal Reef Aquatics]

So far so good! Fish are loving the tank
Your sump is awesome, so much more accessible then the trigger I had last!
I’ve tried pushing your products on the local fish store here.

Very much appreciated! Please keep those update pics coming!

 

[StephenGlidden]

So my overall plan is to do an update each month on overall quality, and new add ons or things I take away from this tank!
Hopefully no one gets bored of it also planning on pictures of any coral additions!

 

[StephenGlidden]

Did my first water change with my new setup here! Made life so much easier, I did 50 gallons in a matter of 10 minutes the 3/4 pipe with the water running out of it runs down to the basement where my saltwater is mixed up.
I have a pump downstairs controlled by an Apple HomeKit switch so as the sump fills up I can turn the pump off while not running downstairs in a panic!
So much easier then lugging buckets of water

 

[StephenGlidden]

Taking this long weekend as a chance to build some doors

 

[Crystal Reef Aquatics]

Taking this long weekend as a chance to build some doors

Those doors look great!

 

[StephenGlidden]

Couple shots of some coral.
Feed the tank yesterday and watched my lightening maroon feed her anemone which was awesome to see.

 

[najer]

That is one gorgeous clown!

 

[StephenGlidden]

Hooked up my pellet reactor the other day, I cut the dose down into probably 1/4 or a little less and almost everything died in the tank
So disappointed, so I emptied it out and made it a carbon reactor.